Doctors Use Deep-Brain Ultrasound Therapy to Treat Tremors

[Lisa88]

Successfully treats tremors with ultrasound waves, and directed towards other neurological disorders. Targets base of brain (non invasive) that causes faulty signals that trigger the tremors. Looking into further treatment for Parkinsons, MS and other neurological conditions. Very exciting potential treatment for Tinnitus.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-38157770

 

[dan]

Successfully treats tremors with ultrasound waves, and directed towards other neurological disorders. Targets base of brain (non invasive) that causes faulty signals that trigger the tremors. Looking into further treatment for Parkinsons, MS and other neurological conditions. Very exciting potential treatment for Tinnitus.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-38157770

So far, nothing has been said about tinnitus involving this treatment.
No results have ever been published as to the efficacy of this procedure against tinnitus....nothing to be excited about at this point in time.
Also I have been to a consult at the only Neurosurgeon who has ever tried this procedure on tinnitus. He has done so but a couple of times and the results were less than impressive and never published. In fact, we had one member on here who out of despair done this procedure for tinnitus, spent $30,000, at the same clinic in Switzerland and he had, as far as I know, zero improvement in his debilitating tinnitus despite being promised to have a good outcome.

 

[Lisa88]

So far, nothing has been said about tinnitus involving this treatment.
No results have ever been published as to the efficacy of this procedure against tinnitus....nothing to be excited about at this point in time.
Also I have been to a consult at the only Neurosurgeon who has ever tried this procedure on tinnitus. He has done so but a couple of times and the results were less than impressive and never published. In fact, we had one member on here who out of despair done this procedure for tinnitus, spent $30,000, at the same clinic in Switzerland and he had, as far as I know, zero improvement in his debilitating tinnitus despite being promised to have a good outcome.

I think the story here and now is in the success of it actually stopping the tremors. This might hold more hope for treatment of t in the future. Esp. given the links between these neurological conditions.

 

[dan]

I think the story here and now is in the success of it actually stopping the tremors. This might hold more hope for treatment of t in the future. Esp. given the links between these neurological conditions.

There is no link between the two, albeit that they are both neurological conditions. There are dozens upon dozens of neurological conditions.
It was already found to work for tremors 3 years ago - very happy for these tremor sufferers.

 

[Lisa88]

Links between certain neurological conditions have been made, e.g. tremors, t, epilepsy re excitatory neurons etc.
Think part of the trouble may be that we can't yet pinpoint the exact areas in the brain of t.
But like the idea of this particular method for t, and do hold out hope as research unfolds.

 

[lolkas]

@Lisa88 @dan folks, i think this is bigger then its realized now. People can have SURGERIES with this.

Lets say patient had headache and got MRI that had revealed Acoustic Neuroma (lets say it turned out that patient freaked out about his headache and it actually was nothing) which was found by coincidence and have not shown any symptoms yet.

Instead of cutting out entire ear or zapping with radiology (in both cases patient looses hearing and gets T in that ear), now they can precisely kill that via this via ultrasound and everyone is happy!

 

[dan]

@Lisa88 @dan folks, i think this is bigger then its realized now. People can have SURGERIES with this.

Lets say patient had headache and got MRI that had revealed Acoustic Neuroma (lets say it turned out that patient freaked out about his headache and it actually was nothing) which was found by coincidence and have not shown any symptoms yet.

Instead of cutting out entire ear or zapping with radiology (in both cases patient looses hearing and gets T in that ear), now they can precisely kill that via this via ultrasound and everyone is happy!

....if they could only cut out and remove tinnitus lol

 

[Lane]

Very exciting potential treatment for Tinnitus.

I just ran across an article entitled, "Ultrasound targeting the brain is poised to revolutionize the treatment for Parkinson's disease". Here's a key part of that article:​

""For people with tremors that are especially disabling, surgery to insert an electrical probe deep into the brain — which is then connected via wire under the skin to a pacemaker-like device implanted near the heart — usually takes place. ...... But a noninvasive treatment option that uses focused ultrasound to mitigate the effects of essential tremor is slowly making its way into hospitals worldwide.""​

This reminded me of an article I recently read in which a man was undergoing a procedure where they inserted an electrical probe deep into the brain for his Parkinson's. Not only did it improve his Parkinson's, but it completely eliminated the man's tinnitus--which he'd had for about forty years, IIRC. The possibility they could get the same results from a non-invasive ultrasound therapy sounds really promising to me.